“Good,” said Krampus, wrapping the measuring tape around his neck where it turned back into a chain. “You’re shaping up nicely.” All afternoon, Krampus had tested Ryan’s physical abilities as a human, and he’d passed every last test. It was finally time for Ryan to move on to the next step of his training.

“I feel like a goose being fattened for slaughter,” said Ryan.

“Don’t be silly,” said Krampus. “I didn’t exactly force feed your pastries, now, did I?” Krampus gave Ryan’s thick bicep a squeeze.

Krampus looked at his journal. Ryan couldn’t read Krampus’s writing. A piece of straw fell on the table out of nowhere. Ryan brushed it away.

“You’re ready to start reindeer training,” said Krampus. “I know you used Dancer’s powers once, in town, but a fight against another shifter is nothing compared to The Ride. When it comes to The Ride, you’re battling the elements themselves. Literally.”

“Do you know what ‘literally’ means?” asked Ryan, crossing his arms.

“Santana Claus has an ancient rivalry with Boreas Winter,” said Krampus.

“Boris?” asked Ryan.

“Boreas,” said Krampus. “Some think of him as the god of winter, of the north wind, of the blizzard, and they aren’t exactly wrong. He’s the leader of the ice elementals.”

“And they have beef with Christmas?” asked Ryan.

“Not exactly,” said Krampus. “You’re thinking of things in black and white, as good and evil. While the two are opposed, it’s by circumstance, not principle.”

“If they don’t have beef, what’s the problem?” asked Ryan.

“The ice elementals are tasked with helping keep this planet’s elemental cycles going,” said Krampus. “Some are hidden, some are obvious, and all are ancient. They’re the reason we have snow and blizzards.”

“What’s Christmas without a little snow?” asked Ryan.

“A little is one thing, but the elementals, well, they dish out a lot,” said Krampus. “It makes The Ride harder, especially for takeoff and landing. After all, Christmas isn’t technically held in the winter.”

“It’s not?” asked Ryan.

“Did you never take environmental science?” asked Krampus. “In our hemisphere, it’s winter during Christmas, but in places like Australia, it’s summer. But, every year, Boreas has his elementals whip up a storm around The North Pole. He says it’s part of their ancient magic, that they have to do it. Santana lets them, but doesn’t like it.”

“They’re just two guys, trying to do their job,” said Ryan. “Why doesn’t Santana find a way to bend the rules?”

“He may be the patron saint of bad boys, but he’s no rulebreaker,” said Krampus. “He’s no demon. Leave the breaking of the laws of the physical realm to my kind. Focus on your job. Focus on preparing for The Ride.”

“If I’m fit, what other preparations do we have left?” asked Ryan. “I just need to maintain my bulk.”

“You’ve got to learn to use your shift,” said Krampus. “It’s time for you to start flying laps.”

“Flying laps?” asked Ryan.

Krampus took his chain off his neck and tossed it in the air. The chain hovered and then came down on the ground around Krampus and Ryan, in a perfect circle in front of them The chain circle filled with flames and showed a scene. Ryan wasn’t sure what he was looking at. It seemed like there was a candy cane on the other side of the door.

“Come on,” said Krampus, pushing Ryan forward so Ryan would take a step into the portal. “You’ll see what I mean.”

Ryan walked through the portal as easily as he could’ve walked through an open door. The other side of the portal was chillier than the cold cabin at Camp Kringle. The candy cane was real. It was real big. The candy cane was topped with a giant red gumdrop. Behind the candy cane was an enormous building. It looked like a military defense contractor’s headquarters.

“What is that thing?” asked Ryan. “Where are we?”

“Welcome to Santana’s Workshop,” said Krampus. “Christmas magic keeps this place hidden from prying eyes. You must be brought here by one of Santana’s associates if you want to find the site at all. That’s the candy cane. On The Ride, you can use it to figure out how close you are to the tarmac, which is on the other side of this building.

“Shouldn’t it be on the tarmac?” asked Ryan.

“That marks the center of The North Pole,” said Krampus. “Wasn’t room to put it anywhere else. Don’t worry. There are lights on the tarmac too. That’s just the beacon that’s meant to guide you back here.”

Krampus led Ryan through Santana’s Workshop, past the hustle and bustle of pointed eared beings that looked a lot like humans. Ryan swore he thought he saw Avery in their numbers, but he blinked, and she was gone. Krampus led Ryan toward the back of the workshop, to a long building near the tarmac. The building had a high ceiling. Along the walls, there were various tools. The floor was made of dirt padded like moss, unlike the smooth stone floors found inside Santana’s Workshop.

“What is this place?” asked Ryan.

“You could call this the armory, where we’ll gear you up, so you can tackle the storm,” said Krampus. “Shift.”

Ryan didn’t bother disrobing. The last time he’d shifted into Dancer, his clothing hadn’t come off. His clothing was still there when he turned back into a human. He let Dancer take over his body. Ryan felt himself grow bigger. His arms turned into a second pair of legs and hit the ground hooves first. He was covered in a coat of warm brown and white fur, with speckles of black in the mix. Large, bony antlers, with no trace of velvet, sprouted from his head.

Ryan realized why ‘the armory’ was so vast and so tall. It had to fit reindeer shifters, eight of them.

“Good,” said Krampus, coming back to Ryan with a leather harness made of green and red leather. “Now. I’m going to slip this on you. Understand?”

“Yes,” said Ryan, but all that came out was something that sounded like a boar trying to imitate a goose.

“Great,” said Krampus.

“You could understand me?” asked Ryan, in his reindeer voice.

“You don’t work for Santana frikkin’ Claus for…well, as long as I have, without picking up reindeer,” said Krampus.

Krampus finished cinching the heavy but surprisingly supple and comfortable well-worn harness over Ryan’s body.

“This harness will enable you to pull Santana’s sleigh,” said Krampus. “It’s nothing like driving the car. Santana’s the driver. You’re the engine. You’ve heard of horsepower. Well, reindeer power is similar. We need to make sure you can supply one full unit of reindeer power to the sleigh, hopefully, more. You never know if an accident might happen.”

“Who else is pulling the sleigh?” asked Ryan.

“Seven ice elementals who’ve been trained down South,” said Krampus.

“Like Mississippi?” asked Ryan. The word ‘Mississippi’ came out as a series of goofy sounds, consisting of a grunt and three wheezes.

“First off, there’s nothing funnier than hearing a reindeer try to say ‘Mississippi,’” said Krampus. “Second of all, think further South.”

“Mexico?” asked Ryan, knitting together his reindeer’s brow muscles.

“Further South,” said Krampus. “Past Argentina.”

“Antarctica?” asked Ryan.

“Bingo. Other acceptable answers include ‘The South Pole’ and ‘Boreas’ Buttcrack.’ Antarctica’s fine too,” said Krampus. “I don’t suggest visiting. The name means ‘opposite of Arctic’, Arctic meaning ‘here be bears,’ so Antarctica means, ‘opposite of the place where you find the bears.’ There’s a reason bears didn’t go there. Trust me. Seals are a Hell of a lot tastier than penguins. Speaking of which, the elementals from down there, they’re all penguins. So we gotta watch the jokes about them being bird-brained…even if it’s true. This year’s flock’s all brawn, no brain, but they can fly like the wind. Guess that’s fitting, given they’re led by a hybrid ice and wind elemental.”

“A hybrid?” asked Ryan.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Krampus. “Boreas is in charge of his men, err, elementals. You’re my only ward. You get the hands-on treatment a bad boy like you needs. Discipline.”

“Alright, alright,” said Ryan. “So why are we up here instead of at The Wreath?”

“Come on,” said Krampus. “You’ll see.”

Krampus led Ryan out of ‘the armory,’ formally called The Stable, as Ryan learned from a sign hanging on the other side of the building. They were on the tarmac, which was made of rough blacktop, covered in a layer of ever-melting snow.

“What sort of magic keeps the tarmac warm?” asked Ryan.

“That’s not magic,” said Krampus with a laugh. “That’s The Workshop.”

“The Workshop? I thought that was The Workshop,” said Ryan, nodding over to the giant glass building.

“That’s just the tip,” said Krampus. “The rest is nestled deep in The North Pole, under the ice. The ice on the tarmac acts as a heat sink. The heat from the servers underneath the tarmac heats up the snow, melting it away, but it evaporates, goes back up into the air, and Nature does her job.”

“Nature or the ice elementals?” asked Ryan.

“Fine, maybe the elementals aren’t good for nothing magical weirdoes,” said Krampus. “Don’t let Santana hear you or me say that. Look. We’ve got company.”

Ryan looked up in the air. He couldn’t see anything, but he could hear something.

“All I hear is the whistling of the wind,” said Ryan.

“Exactly,” said Krampus. “The wind. He’s arriving.”

Ryan looked. The wind whipped around the tarmac. A tornado of ice appeared and out of it stepped a man, dressed in a blue velvet coat with white fur trim, wearing plain dark jeans and walking barefoot. Ryan couldn’t tell the man’s age. He looked old and young at the same time. He had a young man’s body and face, but the look of someone who had seen centuries pass by.

“Well, well, well,” said a booming voice, coming from behind Ryan. “Merry Christmas, Boreas.”

Ryan turned and saw a man in a red velvet hoodie with white fur lining walking on the tarmac, wearing jeans with a big buckle and a pair of brown leather shoes. Like the man in blue, the man in red was of indeterminable age. In one hand, the man was drinking a hot beverage from a cup. In the other hand, he was eating a breakfast sandwich. Ryan could scent out the applewood smoked bacon and honey baked ham.

“Santana,” said Boreas gruffly. “Nice welcoming committee you set out. Who’s this?”

“My most important reindeer this year,” said Santana. “After all, with the storm you’re brewing up for Christmas Eve, I’ll need someone who can dance through the storm like it’s nothing. Boreas, meet this year’s Dancer.”

“Your most important reindeer?” asked Boreas.

“I can’t just trust you and yours to lead my sleigh,” said Santana. “I need one of my own men in the air.”

“And you think whatever shifter you found this year has the chops to fly with my elementals?” asked Boreas. “Don’t forget. They can fly like the wind.”

“They can nearly fly like the wind…nearly,” said Santana. “You’re the only one of them that can do that.”

“Let’s see what your boy’s got,” said Boreas.

“Get ready to be amazed,” said Santana. “Dancer. Go.”

“Use the pole,” said Krampus, patting Ryan on the back. “I know you’re used to that.”

There was just one problem.

Ryan hadn’t flown before.

Start running, said Dancer. Jump when I tell you to.

And then? asked Ryan.

And then don’t hit the ground, said Dancer. Flying is about not falling.

And then? repeated Ryan.

And then just move. It’s more like swimming than walking, said Dancer. Air’s like water. Tell me you can swim.

I’m not great, but I can get the job done, admitted Ryan.

“Hello? We’re waiting,” said Boreas impatiently.

Krampus slapped Ryan’s ass and, just like at Bear Buns, Ryan got to work. Ryan ran across the tarmac. He kept running. Partially it was because he wanted to build up speed. Partially it was because he was scared that if he jumped, he’d fall on his ass and he wouldn’t fly.

Ryan felt himself nearly trip. He’d reached maximum speed. He was still clumsy in the reindeer shift, and he wasn’t having much luck on the ground. Ryan took a deep breath in through his snout and then, he made the jump.

The jump was more of a plunge, up and into the air. Ryan’s legs tucked beneath his body. He extended them and tucked them again. He wasn’t the most graceful beast at first, but he established a rhythm. Ryan got some serious air, flying high above the tarmac, to the top of The Workshop.

Ryan spotted the large gumdrop atop the candy cane.

What do I do? asked Ryan.

Remember what Krampus said? asked Dancer.

Reindeer sound hilarious when they say the word ‘Mississippi?’ asked Ryan.

He said to use the pole, said Dancer. You’re a pole dancer. I’m a reindeer, Dancer. It’s time to put on a show.

Ryan flew toward the candy cane. He landed right on top of the gumdrop. Then, Ryan was off again. He flew way up into the air and came back down, but as he came down, he twisted and turned around the candy cane. It wasn’t anything like a pole dance at Bear Buns, but Ryan did his best to show off what he could do while in Dancer’s true form. He did barrel rolls and flips. Through it all, the harness stayed in place. He made his way back up the candy cane and flew back down to the tarmac, backward.

Ryan landed next to Krampus.

“Your boy’s got chops,” said Boreas. “I can give you that.”

“He can fly with the best of your lot,” said Santana. “You did good, Krampus. You always do.”